Due date: Thursday, February 26, 2009
A large number of advocacy groups actively participate in the formulation of transportation policy; examples include the American Automobile Association, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Highway Users Federation, the American Public Transit Association, environmental organizations (such as the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environmental Defense), and business organizations like chambers of commerce and the Bay Area Economic Forum.
This assignment gives you a chance to learn more about a particular organization involved in transportation policy. In addition, I have the larger goals of making you aware of (1) how advocacy groups function as part of the transportation policy and planning community, and (2) the importance of understanding an organization�s orientation in order to evaluate the credibility of its research reports and policy recommendations.
For the organization you are assigned, prepare a paper that discusses the following specific issues:
What policy issues are most
important to the organization? (If the organization deals with more than just
transportation policy, focus on the transportation issues.) Note: this task
should not take up more than a paragraph or two of your essay.
Who are the members of the organization and
how may this influence the organization's research, activities, and policy
positions?
What types of activities does the organization
undertake? (I.e., producing research, publishing informational papers or
newsletters, putting together links to other research or information, organizing
conferences or training programs, or lobbying state or federal legislators.)
Does the organization explicitly attempt to
influence transportation plans and policies at any level of government, and if
so, how? If the organization is involved in many such campaigns, describe its
general approach and give examples from one or two specific campaigns.
How credible is research or other information
produced by this organization? Would you recommend relying on this
organization for information and advice or not? Is the organization
particularly credible (or unbelievable) on information it puts out on all transportation topics, or just
some?
This discussion of the organization's credibility should be detailed and make up at least a quarter
of the paper.
To answer to these questions, use materials available on the organization�s web site. You may also want to call its offices to ask questions.
Make sure to cite the specific web pages or documents in which you find information, just as you would if you were writing an essay based on print materials. If you make phone calls, this information should be cited as well (see Turabian for how to cite interviews).
Paper formatting guidelines:
The assignment should be 1,200 to 1,500 words
in length, excluding footnotes and the bibliography. Please note that I will stop reading (and grading) papers after I reach 1,500
words.
The paper should be typed and formatted with
1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman type, and line spacing set at �1.�
All citations should be documented with footnotes and a bibliography, follwoing the directions on the course syllabus.
Prepare a handout that summarizes the key points from your paper that will help your classmates understand who this organization represents, what its main activities are, and if/when/how much to trust the research and information the organization produces.
The handout should fit on one 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.
Make sure to cite your sources properly, as needed.
Bring to class enough copies of the handout to give one to each student.
URBP 256 students:
By the start of class, email me a single MS Word document that contains your paper, followed by the handout. In the subject line of the email, write "URBP 256: Organization Analysis assignment from [write your last name here]."
Bring to class enough paper copies of your handout to distribute to all the students in the class.
URBP 178/ ENVI 178 students:
By the start of class, email me a single MS Word document that contains your paper, followed by the handout. In the subject line of the email, write "URBP 256: Organization Analysis assignment from [write your last name here]."
I will assess grades based on (1) the quality of the analysis, (2) the clarity, organization, and grammatical correctness of the writing, and (3) whether or not the paper covers all topics specified. �A� papers will be those that analyze and evaluate the organization and its activities, rather than merely describing what the organization does.
The handout required of URBP 256 students will not count towards the assignment grade unless you fail to prepare the handout, in which case you will be penalized by one full letter grade.
This assignment is worth 20% of your course grade.
Each student will evaluate one organization, most likely from the list below. During class on February 5, I will match each student with an organization.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
American Automobile Association
American Highway Users Alliance
American Public Transit Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Trucking Association
Community Transportation Association of America
Congress for New Urbanism
Eno Transportation Foundation
Environmental Defense Fund
Intelligent Transportation Society of California
International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association
Institute of Transportation Engineers
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Natural Resources Defense Council
Project for Public Spaces
Sierra Club
TransForm (formerly TALC)
TRIP: The Road Information Project
Union of Concerned Scientists
Acknowledgment: This assignment is adapted from one designed by Elizabeth Deakin and Martin Wachs.
| Return to URBP 256 course page |
Page last modified: 3 February 2009